The Extended Employment Insurance (EI) Pilot Project

Background information
Eligibility criteria
Participating economic regions
Benefit duration

Background information

The Extended Employment Insurance (EI) Benefits pilot project increases EI income support by providing an additional five weeks of benefits, to a maximum of 45 weeks, in 21 economic regions.

The Extended EI Benefits pilot project has been re-introduced in the original 21 economic regions. EI claimants whose benefit periods are established on or after September 12, 2010 may be eligible. This pilot project will run until September 15, 2012, or will conclude earlier in regions where there is sustained economic recovery.

Re-introducing this pilot project will allow further testing during a period of economic recovery.


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Eligibility criteria

You are eligible to apply for this pilot project if:

  • you are filing a claim and are eligible to receive regular benefits;
  • you live in one of the 21 participating EI economic regions; and
  • your claim for benefits started on or after September 12, 2010.

The additional 5 weeks of EI benefits does not apply to the following benefits:


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Participating economic regions

From September 12, 2010 to September 15, 2012, this pilot project is being tested in 21 Employment Insurance (EI) economic regions; each of which includes many municipalities and census subdivisions. Select a region in your province to see if your municipality is included

Regions

* Based on monthly unemployment data, the unemployment rate in these EI economic regions has been below 8 percent for 12 consecutive months.  As a  result, the Extended EI Benefits pilot project ended for St. John’s on September 24, 2011 and for Chicoutimi-Jonquière on March 24, 2012.


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Benefit duration

Regular benefits can be paid from 14 to a maximum of 45 weeks. The number of weeks of payable benefits is determined at the exact time your claim starts and is based on:

  • the unemployment rate in your region; and
  • the number of insurable hours you have accumulated in the qualifying period

Example

You live in Eastern Nova Scotia region with an unemployment rate set at 13.8%. You have accumulated 560 hours of work and your claim starts on December 13, 2010. Since you live in a participating EI economic region for the pilot project, you can take advantage of the additional five weeks of payable benefits.

  • Maximum number of weeks of EI benefits payable before the pilot rules: 28
  • Maximum number of weeks of EI benefits payable under the pilot rules: 33


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Regional unemployment rate
Hours
of
work		 6%
and
under		 +
6%
 to
7%		 +
7%
 to
8%		 +
8% 
to
9%		 +
9% 
to
10%		 +
10% 
to
11%		 +
11% 
to
12%		 +
12% 
to
13%		 +
13%
 to
14%		 +
14% 
to
15%		 +
15% 
to
16%		 over
16%
420-454                 31 33 35 37
455-489               29 31 33 35 37
490-524             28 30 32 34 36 38
525-559           26 28 30 32 34 36 38
560-594         25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39
595-629       23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39
630-664     22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40
665-699   20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40
700-734 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41
735-769 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41
770-804 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42
805-839 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42
840-874 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43
875-909 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43
910-944 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44
945-979 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44
980-1014 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45
1015-1049 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45
1050-1084 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45
1085-1119 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45
1120-1154 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45
1155-1189 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45
1190-1224 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45
1225-1259 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45
1260-1294 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45 45
1295-1329 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45 45
1330-1364 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45 45
1365-1399 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45 45
1400-1434 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45 45 45
1435-1469 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45 45 45
1470-1504 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45 45 45 45
1505-1539 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45 45 45 45
1540-1574 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 45 45 45 45 45
1575-1609 34 36 38 40 42 44 45 45 45 45 45 45
1610-1644 35 37 39 41 43 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
1645-1679 36 38 40 42 44 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
1680-1714 37 39 41 43 45 45 44 45 45 45 45 45
1715-1749 38 40 42 44 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
1750-1784 39 41 43 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
1785-1819 40 42 44 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
1820- 41 43 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45

Note: Number of Economic Regions

At the start of the Extended EI Benefits pilot project in 2010, there were 21 Employment Insurance (EI) economic regions being tested; each of which included many municipalities and census subdivisions.  The pilot project will run until September 15, 2012, or will conclude earlier in regions where there is sustained economic recovery.  This occurs based on monthly unemployment data which indicates when an EI economic region’s unemployment rate has been below 8 percent for 12 consecutive periods, which will result in that region no longer being part of the pilot project.